Aerosol actuator hold down device



AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOLD DOWN DEVICE Filed June 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR William Scheck ATTU 5 June 13, 1967 w. SCHECK 3,325,064

AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOLD DOWN DEVICE Filed June 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet Z INVENTOR William .S'check BY wwy ATTURNEYS' United States Patent 3,325,064 AEROSOL ACTUATOR HOLD DOWN DEVICE William Scheck, Builders Sheet Metal Works, 1110., 108-110 Wooster St, New York, N.Y. 10012 Filed June 13, 1966, Ser. No. 557,200 8 Claims. (Cl. 222-40214) This invention concerns a valve holder for an aerosol container.

Heretofore it has been necessary to hold open the release valve of an aerosol container manually to discharge the contents of the container. The present invention has as its principal object to provide means for holding the valve open without requiring the valve to be held open manually.

A further object is to provide a removable attachment for an aerosol container to enable the user to operate the valve manually or to set the valve for remaining open as long as desired.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol container embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment and part of the aerosol container.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to a part of FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the attachment of FIG. 5 and parts of the aerosol container, and

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating still another modified form of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown an aerosol container 10 having a cylindrical body 12 provided with a dish top closure plate 14. Plate 14 is formed with a central upstanding nipple 16 provided with a circumferential bead 18. Inside the nipple is secured a valve 20 from which extends a tube 22. The tube extends downwardly into liquid 24 in the container. In chamber 25 above the liquid is a propellant gas under pressure. The valve has a retractable spring biased discharge nozzle 26 extending upwardly and outwardly of the nipple. The nozzle serves as an actuating element for Opening the valve to discharge the contents of the container in a spray S when the nozzle is retracted axially downward. A generally cylindrical spray tip 28 having a discharge hole 29 and tangentially extending recesses 29' for whirling the spray, is detachably mounted on the nozzle. To the extent described the aerosol container, valve and associated parts are generally conventional. It will be understood that the only way the contents of the container can be discharged is to keep the spray tip 28 and nozzle 26 depressed.

Now, according to the invention, there is provided an attachment in the form of a short elastic cylindrical tube 30 made of rubber or plastic material.

The tube 30 can be force fitted down over the cylindrical spray tip 23 until the bottom end of the tube 30 engages around the bead 18 of nipple 16. The tube 30 in this position holds the spray tip 28 and nozzle 26 depressed so that spray S issues continuously from the container until the liquid contents 24 are entirely discharged. The spray discharge from the container can be interrupted at any time by pulling the tube 39 and spray tip off the nozzle 26. Then the tip 28 can be replaced alone. Subsequent operation of the valve can then be manual and intermittent at will. Alternatively the tube 30 can be replaced as described above for continuing uninterrupted discharge of the contents of the container.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modification of the invention in which the spray tip 28a has a bead 32 extending circumferentially at its bottom end. The associated tube 30a has an internally beveled upper edge 34 and an internal circumferential groove 36 spaced a short distance axially from the beveled edge 34. Parts corresponding to those of FIGS. 14 are identically numbered.

Initially the tube 30a will be detach ably mounted on the nipple 16 and elastically engaged with bead 18 as shown in FIG. 5. The bottom end of the spray tip 28a rests on the beveled end 34 of the tube which serves as a safety element to prevent accidental discharge of the contents of the tube. When the spray tip 28a is forcefully pressed down, the bead 32 will engage in groove 36 so that the contents of the container will be discharged in a continuous spray. The spray tip will be frictionally held down in engagement with the tube.

If it is desired to interrupt the spray, the spray tip can be pulled up Without displacing the tube 30a, to the position shown in FIG. 5. If intermittent manual control of the valve 20 is desired, then both spray tip 28a and tube 300 can be removed and spray tip 28a alone can be replaced.

Referring now to the modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 7, herein a modified form of spray tip 28x is shown which differs from the tip 28a of FIGS. 5 and 6 in that the end is closed and formed with a fiat top end edge 40 and a tapered side edge 42. The discharge hole 29x extends axially of the tip to a point remote from the top thereof and then extends laterally as indicated at 44 intersecting a round cutout portion 46 at one side of the tip whereby the contents of the container 10x is discharged sideways of the container, instead of axially as in the other forms. In all other respects, the container 10x is similar to container 10 and similar reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts. A cutout slot 30 is provided in the tube 30 through which the spray can be projected.

In all forms of the invention as described, the user has the option of continuous or intermittent discharge of the contents of the container. The attachment described is very inexpensive to manufacture and can be provided on or with aerosol container at trifling cost. Nevertheless, it extends the range of usefulness of an aerosol container in a novel and unexpected manner without requiring any modification of the valve structure, without use of tool; and in a perefctly safe and foolproof manner.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a generally cylindrical aerosol contalner having a normally closed valve, an axially movable discharge nozzle for opening and closing the valve,

' said nozzle being normally spring biased outwardly of the frictionally engaged on the spray tip to hold the spray tip and nozzle in retractedposition so that the contents of the container are sprayed out continuously.

2. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein the axial length of the tube is at least equal to the distance from said bead to the outer free end of said spray tip when the spray tip is depressed and engaged by the tube.

3. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein said spray tip has a circumferential head on its bottom end for frictionally engaging inside the tube to hold the spray tip depressed.

4. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein the tube has a beveled upper edge normally abutted by the bottom end of the spray tip to prevent accidental retraction of the spray tip, to prevent undesired discharge of the contents of the container, and to facilitate entry of the spray tip axially into the tube.

5. An attachment as recited in claim 4, wherein said spray tip has a head on its bottom end for frictionally engaging inside the tube to hold the spray tip depressed.

6. An attachment as recited in claim 3, wherein said 4 tube has a circumferential groove for receiving and engaging the bead on the spray tip.

7. An attachment as recited in claim 5, wherein the said tube has a circumferential groove for receiving and engaging the head on the spray tip.

8. An attachment as recited in claim 1, wherein the spray tip has a closed top end with a flat top edge and a tapered side, said tip having an axial discharge hole extending from the bottom of the tip to a point remote from the top and then extending laterally terminating in a cutout portion at one side of the tip whereby the contents of the container is discharged laterally of the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,225,966 12/1965 Sagarin 222153 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL AEROSOL CONTAINER HAVING A NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE, AN AXIALLY MOVABLE DISCHARGE NOZZLE FOR OPENING AND CLOSING THE VALVE, SAID NOZZLE BEING NORMALLY SPRING BIASED OUTWARDLY OF THE VALVE TO CLOSE THE SAME, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A CLOSED TOP PLATE FORMED WITH A CENTRAL UPSTANDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY BEADED NIPPLE, SAID VALVE BEING SECURED INSIDE THE NIPPLE, AND A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SPRAY TIP REMOVABLY MOUNTED ON THE NOZZLE OUTSIDE OF THE CONTAINER; SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING AN ELASTIC CYLINDRICAL TUBE HAVING OPEN OPPOSITE ENDS, ONE END OF THE TUBE BEING ELASTICALLY AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED ON THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEAD OF THE NIPPLE, THE OTHER END OF THE TUBE BEING ELASTICALLY AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED ON THE SPRAY TIP TO HOLD THE SPRAY TIP AND NOZZLE IN RETRACTED POSITION SO THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER ARE SPRAYED OUT CONTINUOUSLY. 